With all of the Seedcorn instructor crews already operational on US P-8 there must now be a fairly decent sized MPA crew set up in place already. 2 new crews qualified, with 2-3 already operational under Seedcorn with another 2 more in the pipeline. P-8 will probably be the smoothest introduction to service ever.

I struggle to believe they are at all effective. I've used a handheld sniffer and couldn't pinpoint the source of a leak from 2 meters away. I can't imagine doing the same over 10km with loads of other traffic around would yield any usable results.

According to pictures released on Boeing UK & Ireland Twitter account, the first Poseidon MRA Mk.1 (P-8A) Maritime Patrol Aircraft being built for the RAF is now painted and undergoing pre-flight preparations for its maiden flight.

Lord Jim wrote:Slow is the new norm for deliveries of all new kit for he Armed Forces these days. Imagine what it is going to be like if and when we replace the L85A3!

It's the consequence of straitened procurement budgets. It costs less on the annual basis in which the budgets are based. Though because it's spread over a longer term the full cost is higher and it pushes other procurement projects further down the line or means that they've got to be extended further. If you're not careful it could turn in to a bit of a death spiral.